Did you suffer a seizure while you were at work? Will your workers’ compensation cover your medical costs and lost wages if you had to miss days of work while recovering? It depends entirely on why the seizure struck.
Workers’ compensation only relates to injuries suffered due to the scope of your employment and your work duties. If you have been diagnosed with epilepsy, for example, and an epileptic seizure strikes you without warning while you are working, then it cannot reasonably be said that your seizure was caused by your work. Therefore, workers’ compensation won’t provide any coverage to pay for your related medical bills. At the most, you might be able to get short-term or long-term disability benefits if the health consequences of your seizure prevent you from returning to work.
On the other hand, if your seizure can be linked to your employment, then workers’ compensation should be usable. For example, do you work in an industrial warehouse with flashing lights near moving equipment and machinery? If those flashing lights are what triggered your epileptic seizure, then you could be eligible to use workers’ compensation benefits. Seizures can also be caused by inhaling hazardous substances, such as certain chemicals used in manufacturing processes. If your seizure was caused by toxic exposure at work, then you should explore your workers’ compensation options.
The rules and regulations surrounding workers’ compensation can be complicated, especially when factoring in a preexisting medical condition like epilepsy. Varying state laws also make it more difficult to know if you can get the workers’ comp coverage that you need. If you live in Chicago and need help making sense of your options after suffering a seizure at work, please contact Leonard Law Group immediately.